Here’s a sneak peak of a watercolour project I’m working on. More details to follow in February 2022. New Year is just around the corner!
(post by Tanya)
Countdown to Agatha!
Only a few days to go until we install the new Agatha show. Curator Alice Graham and I have been working on it intensively since spring, so it’s great to see the work coming to fruition.
The show takes a fresh angle on her life and centres around the work she did with her husband: archaeologist Max Mallowan. Many times I’ve laughed aloud while designing - it’s her wonderful tales and quotes, you see... it seems Agatha is world famous for good reason! The star objects are original transcripts of her poetry, which are a revelation.
In a lovely full circle moment, I was already an admirer of hubby Mallowan. Since childhood I’ve visited the British Museum to gaze at the Assyrian reliefs he excavated. This led me to studying archaeology at UCL, where he was a professor in earlier days.
Right! Must be off to pack my tape measure, masking tape and toothbrush.
Agatha Christie: Destination Unknown
Sat 11 Sept 2021 to Sun 28 Nov 2021
Torre Abbey
The King's Drive
Torquay TQ2 5JE
www.torre-abbey.org.uk/whats-on/agatha-christie-destination-unknown/
(post by Tanya)
Crest - sneak peek
I recently completed an exciting project for a client who has hundreds of years of history. They approached me to update their crest and I jumped at the chance. The main reason I work with museums is because I genuinely enjoy historical content (I studied Archaeology at UCL) and so, with this project, I relished the research just as much as I enjoyed the drawing and design. It’s too early to share the whole thing but here’s a tantalizing glimpse. More details to follow in 2021.
Did you know I created the current crest for King’s College, Cambridge? Take a look:
http://chutneychorus.com/#/crest-kings-college-cambridge
(post by Tanya)
NHS Rainbow design
Inspired by all the wonderful rainbow drawings in local windows, we've created this NHS Rainbow T-shirt. All profits donated to frontline NHS staff and volunteers. Available for children & adults from www.thosewhowait.com
No. 3 Dino Bus
Our no. 3 Dino Bus design proved to be a big hit at Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House. T-shirts now available for children and adults at thosewhowait.com. Made from organic cotton, they’re designed in Crystal Palace, printed on the Isle of Wight using renewable energy throughout the supply chain. Prints also available, email me for size and colour options. Prices start from £15 for small framed giclée print. Email: mike@chutneychorus.com
(post by Mike)
Happy New Year for 2020!
Wishing all our clients and friends a wonderful 2020. We look forward to working with you over the coming year.
Tanya & Mike
Going out with a bang (and a fizz)
It’s the last day of 2019. I’m so pleased to have completed my creative year working on the design for Cooper’s Yard Beer. It’s one of those gratifying jobs where I got to use my whole caboodle: writing, illustration and design. My client is Gavin Rookledge of Rook’s Books (mentioned two posts ago). Yes, they are gold embossed leather labels … Gavin wanted to create limited edition bottles as gifts for his clients. The hops for the brew were grown in the yard of the studio and new Cooper’s Yard resident, Emma Lee Cheng of letterpress fame, printed the beermats. So satisfying on so many levels.
I’m really looking forward to 2020 and what it will bring. Wishing you a creative year ahead. Whatever you’re doing, do it!
(post by Tanya)
Horniman Market - now on Sundays
It’s always great to get a brief from one of our favourite clients, the Horniman Museum. They asked us to update the market identity we created for them a couple of years ago as they were moving it to a Sunday. To expand the suite, we made a walrus on a veg ‘berg and a fruit ‘berg.
We are regulars to the market and particularly recommend Aston’s, the bread stall.
To see the other versions of this design, take a look here:
Agatha Christie, Unfinished Portrait
This summer, once again I had the pleasure of working with Alice Graham on the touring show Agatha Christie, Unfinished Portrait. We worked together to deliver the show for the International Agatha Christie Festival. Click the link below for a great video made by The Shorely – you can see me in the background, working alongside Alice and the amazing James and Josh from Art Works Exhibition Services. The show was on at Torre Abbey until 24 November.
The Shorley:
https://www.theshorely.com/articles/agatha-christie-unfinished-portrait-exhibition
Art Works Exhibition Services:
Graphic production by Displayways:
For more on this show on the portfolio section of this website:
(post by Tanya)
Museum Insider
This project for Museum of London Docklands is to give children a flavour of life as a docker in Victorian London. I made labels for the costumes, panels for the furniture, retouched sheet music for the Joanna (that’s ‘piano’ if you don’t speak Cockney) and had fun drawing a repeating pattern for the tablecloth. What I enjoyed most of all, however, is the fact that I’m a direct descendant of a Victorian docker! My great-grandfather John Philip Cornish lived from 1862-1948 in Stepney and worked as a casual docker ‘on the stones’. This meant he’d turn up at the docks and stand on a cobbled forecourt amongst hundreds of men and hope he’d be chosen for a day’s work. It was a tough life. Below is a photo of John in his late 60s. Although he’s looking pretty content, note that he’s covering one hand - he lost two and a half fingers to the docks but must have wanted to keep that ‘Mum’.
The family continued to live in Stepney, my grandfather too worked ‘on the stones’, choosing to stay put during the Blitz, where my father remembered being bombed out five times. But perhaps that’s a story for another day …
(post by Tanya)